Fink, CarstenMattoo, CarstenNeagu, Ileana Cristina2014-02-262014-02-262002-01World Bank Economic Reviewhttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/17191Maritime transport costs significantly impede international trade. This article examines why these costs are so high in some countries and quantifies the importance of two explanations: restrictive trade policies and private anticompetitive practices. It finds that both matter, but the latter have a greater impact. Trade liberalization and the breakup of private carrier agreements would lead to an average of one-third lower liner transport prices and to cost savings of up to US dollar 3 billion on goods carried to the United States alone. The policy implications are clear: there is a need not only for further liberalization of government policy but also for strengthened international disciplines on restrictive business practices. The authors propose an approach to developing such disciplines in the current round of services negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO).en-USCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGOADVERTISINGAIRAIR SERVICESAIR TRANSPORTALTERNATIVE MODESALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATIONBERTHINGBIDDINGCABOTAGECARGOCARGO HANDLINGCARGO RATESCARRIERCARRIERSCOMMERCECOMMERCIAL POLICYCOMMODITIESCOMMODITYCOMMON CARRIERSCONTAINER TERMINALSCONTAINERIZATIONCONTAINERIZED CARGOCONTAINERSCONTESTABILITYCONTESTABLE MARKETCOST INCREASESCRUDE OILCUSTOMSCUSTOMS CLEARANCECUSTOMS DUTIESDEMAND ELASTICITIESDOMESTIC MARKETDRY BULKECONOMIC EFFECTSECONOMIES OF SCALEELASTICITYELASTICITY OF DEMANDFARESFIXED COSTSFOREIGN PORTSFOREIGN SHIPSFREIGHTFREIGHT FORWARDINGFREIGHT TRANSPORTHARBORSINTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINALINTERNATIONAL SHIPPINGINTERNATIONAL TRADEINTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTINVENTORYJOURNEYLANDLOCKED COUNTRIESLINER CONFERENCESLINER OPERATORSLINER SERVICESLINER SHIPPINGLONGER DISTANCESMANUFACTURINGMARITIME INDUSTRYMARITIME POLICYMARITIME POLICY MANAGEMENTMARITIME SECTORMARITIME SERVICESMARITIME TRANSPORTMARITIME TRANSPORTATIONMARKET ACCESSMARKET FORCESMARKET POWERMARKET SEGMENTSMARKET SHAREMERCHANDISEMERCHANDISE IMPORTSMERCHANT MARINESMOBILITYMODE OF TRANSPORTMODES OF TRANSPORTMONOPOLYNAVIGATIONNAVIGATION AIDSOCEAN CARRIERSOCEAN FREIGHTOCEAN FREIGHT RATESPASSENGERSPOLICEPORT ASSETSPORT AUTHORITIESPORT AUTHORITYPORT CONCESSIONSPORT INFRASTRUCTUREPORT OF ENTRYPORT PERFORMANCEPORT REFORMPORTSPREDATORY PRICINGPRICE COMPETITIONPRICE FIXINGPRICE SETTINGPRICE STABILITYPROFITABLE ROUTESROADROAD TRANSPORTROUTEROUTESSAFETYSEAPORTSSHIP OWNERSSHIPMENTSSHIPPERSSHIPPINGSHIPPING CHARGESSHIPPING COMPANIESSHIPPING COMPANYSHIPPING CONFERENCESSHIPPING INDUSTRYSHIPPING LINESSHIPPING RATESSHIPPING ROUTESSHIPSSPREADSTEVEDORINGSUPPLIERSTERMINAL OPERATORSTONNAGETOWINGTRAFFICTRAFFIC CROSSINGTRAFFIC DISTRIBUTIONTRAMP SHIPPINGTRANSITTRANSPORT CHARGESTRANSPORT COSTSTRANSPORT DATATRANSPORT DEMANDTRANSPORT ECONOMICSTRANSPORT OPERATIONSTRANSPORT PRICETRANSPORT SERVICETRANSPORT SERVICESTRANSPORTATIONTRANSPORTATION COSTSTRANSPORTATION SERVICEVOLATILITYWAREHOUSINGJournal ArticleWorld Bank10.1596/17191